First, get this book…
250 pounds (~$500) is actually possible if you get your steel for free, and find a complete donor car for cheap, but in the real world $2500 is a more realistic target.
Second, visit this site…http://locostusa.com/ It has a lot of info for building the car in the US as the book focuses on donor cars that you can not get in the US. Here is a link to my build diary on that site, that is where the bulk of my updates will be. I will update on NYSpeed at major milestones…http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=922
Next you will need a donor car, there are several options for complete donors, by complete I mean all running gear including engine, tranny, driveshaft, rear axle and brakes, front spindles and brakes, wiring, and other items to make a car. There are not many complete donor cars left, most rear wheel drive small cars with a SLA front suspension would work, however cars with struts can be used but you will either have to modify the strut to accept an upper balljoint, or just get some spindles frome something else.
Popular complete donors in the US are: Pinto, MustangII, Chevette, Miata (if you want to tackle an IRS), many small trucks like Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi.
Popular strut based donors: Corolla, B210, RX-7, 240sx, 200sx, and others. The absolute best of these are the Corolla GTS, and the 87-89 Isuzu impulse (good luck finding either one cheap)
There are many others but these are the ones I looked into. You could even use a late model Ranger (99+) with the Mazda 2.3, or even an S10, there are plans out there for larger chassis that can accept V6 engines, but I decided to build the lightest posible car, and I did not feel like waiting to search on a hard to find donor. So I am doing mine in pieces, I bought a FWD donor for the engine, pedals, wiring, steering column, master cylinder, radiator, and a few other parts. I am using the transmission out of a Suzuki Samurai because it bolts right to the engine with no modification, and it only weighs 70lbs…
Donor! Suzuki Swift GT! I got this mainly for it’s sweetheart of an engine. 1.3l DOHC, 100hp stock with lots of aftermarket support. This engine can rev to 9500rpm safely (with a chip as it’s limited to 7600 stock) and with cams, header, and bigger TB 130hp is easy. 9500rpm, 130hp, 1100lb car, WOOO!!! A motorcycle that doesn’t fall over!
The heart…
Other parts stripped out…
Wiring harness, notice the thinner left side, that part is already thinned out
I got the rear axle out of an AWD Tercel, it’s basically the same as in a Corolla but has a 4x110 bolt pattern that matches my Chevette spindles and brakes…
Beginning of the donor parts refurbishing…
The most expensive part of the entire project, but good handling is crutial to me, otherwise, why bother building a Lotus7 replica if it doesn’t handle like a Lotus7? (or better). The book calls for shocks that are 14" long extended ans 10" long compressed, and springs between 180 ans 200lb rear and 200-220 front. However, there is a LOT of debate on this subject, many people seem to think softer in rear and stiffer in front (because of the angle of the shocks). I chose 175 rear and 250 front. I can always order different rates if I’m not happy.
Chevette spindles…
Next, frame construction (already underway, will be posted in a few minutes)
Hopefully it’ll go nice and smoothly and we’ll be able to go page to page and see the progress pics to the end!